The present invention relates to metal particles and methods of agglomerating the same.
Efforts are always being made to improve the handling of metal powder, such as tantalum powders. In particular, fine powders, for instance, having particle sizes of 0.1-200 microns, can be quite difficult to work with and thus, methods to agglomerate fine metal powder have been developed, such as the method described in Japanese Kokai [1992]4-362101 for tantalum powder.
However, besides developing methods to agglomerate fine metal powders, efforts have also been made to agglomerate such powders in such a manner that flow properties and/or other desirable properties are maintained or improved.
Accordingly, there is a demand to develop methods of agglomerating fine metal particles such as tantalum powder, not only to address the problems of fine powders but also to lead to agglomerated metal particles that have desirable properties such as good flow properties and improved pore size distribution.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method to agglomerate metal particles, preferably tantalum and/or niobium particles, which includes the steps of combining a volatilizable or vaporizable liquid with the metal particles to form wet metal particles. These wet metal particles are compacted and then dried to form a cake. The cake is then thermally agglomerated or heat treated to result in the agglomerated metal particles.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided metal particles, and especially tantalum and/or niobium particles having a flow rate of at least about 65 mg/sec. and an improved pore size distribution.
Further, the present invention relates to capacitor anodes containing the tantalum and/or niobium powder of the present invention.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the present invention as claimed.